Saw-guide clamp.



No. 766,798. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. P. H. RIGHARDS.

SAW GUIDE CLAMP.

APPLIUATION FILED 0012.2, 1903. msnwnn JULY 1, 1904.

NO MODEL.

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times in another of said holes or sockets.

UNITED STATES Patented August 2, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS I-I. RICHARDS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUTI, ASSIC-NOR TO THE S ANLEY RULE & LEVEL COMPANY, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

SAW-GUIDE CLAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,798, dated August 2, 1904.

Application filed October 2, 1903. Renewed July 1, 1904. Serialllo- 214,879. (No model.)

To ztZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANoIs H. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Saw-Guide Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

One of the objects of this invention is to.

provide an improved saw-guide clamp wherein the clamping device shall be an intimate feature of the saw-guide, making it exchangeable from one position to another in a miterbox or other wood-sawing mechanism and avoiding the necessity of providing the guide carrier or swivel-beam of such mechanism with clamping devices for holding the guide in place, and if several positions are provided for one guide to avoid the necessity of furnishing a clamping device for each position. The beam-arm or swivel in miter-boxes will generally be provided with a plurality of holes or sockets for receiving a saw-guide which will sometimes be used in one and some- It has heretofore been customary to provide each of the sockets with its individual means for fastening the saw-guide therein. This, of course, requires a fastening device at each of the guide positions, whereas according to my present improvement the sockets are not pro vided with any guide clamping or fastening devices at all; but the guide is provided with a fastening or clamping device which is equally efiicient upon the guide when in any socket. By having the stems of the guides carry the clamping or securing devices upon the removal of the guide for the purpose of shifting it to a new position the workman will unfasten such clamp and remove the guide from its socket, in which condition the guide will be enabled to enter the socket at the new position without any preliminary adjustment being required, as would be the case if each socket had its own securing means, which individual securing means would frequently, when not in use, by the jarring of the parts or handling thereof have a tendency to move toward the clamping position and make it saw-guide rods broken off above the base.

necessary for the workman to preliminarily adjust the same prior to the insertion of the 5 guide, thus unnecessarily consuming his time and causing annoyance. If the sockets are all of substantially the same size, a stem which can be easily removed from one socket will readily enter another similar socket.

In miter-boxes the saw is frequently supported by a pair of guides carried upon a swivel-beam arm. To permit the use of a short saw and give a fairly long stroke, the guides will be placed as near together as they may be upon each side of the work. When, however, it is desired to either use a longer saw or to put in wider work, it will be found desirable to shift one of the saw-guides. The beams of miter-boxes permitting such adjustment have generally heretofore been provided with a series of holes or sockets in which a stem of the saw-guide would lit and which stem was fastened in place by a setscrew or some other form of clamping device carried by the beam, a complete fastening de vice being provided for each socket. In my present improvement the beam is provided with plain sockets at each of the positions to which the guide may be shifted, and the guide is provided with a stem normally having a working lit with such socket, but carrying means for clamping the stem in any socket.

The clannping device may be adjusted to a condition of rigidity or it may be adjusted so that the guide may oscillate upon its stem within the socket with a-greater or less amount of ease, according as the friction is increased or diminished. 5

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification a form of my invention is illustrated, wherein- Figure 1 a top view of a miter-box, the

Fig. 2 is a front view of one end thereof. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a portion of the swivel-beam and guide, 4: is a top view of one of the guide-bases, showing the guide-rods broken off, as in several of the other views. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 7. Fig. 6 is a section showing the clamping-pin seat. Fig. 7 is a section of the beam, showing the guide-base in elevation and the device in an unclamped position. Fig. 8 is a similar View and at right angles to Fig. 7, showing the stem of the base partly broken away; and Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a clamping-pin.

The device is shown as mounted upon a frame comprisinga bed 9, supported by feet 10 and carrying a board 11 for preventing the dulling of the saw-teeth by engagement with the metal of the bed. The bed also carries a back plate 12 for positioning the work, and through the back plate is a saw passageway 13. The front of the bed-plate carries a segmental extension or apron 14, having a thin edge 15, upon which is shown a scale 50. A beam-arm 16 is swiveled to the framework at the region of the passage-way, 13 and is provided with a clamp having a head 17 running upon the scale 15 and held in place by a setscrew 18 and is provided with an index-point 19 to indicate with the scale the position of the parts, when the beam may be readily clamped in place and there secured. The beam-arm carries at its back a saw-guide 20 and at its front a saw-guide 21. Each of such guides comprises in the present instance a block or base 22, carrying parallel guide bars or rods 23, upon each of which is free to slide a guide member 2 1, each pair of members constituting a saw-guide cylinder and each memher having cut-away passage 25 for accommodating the back member 26 of a saw (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2) and a guide-face 27 for the blade 28 of the saw. Each block or base has a stem 30, organized to enter a socket 31 in the beam-arm.

When it is desired to adjust the guide-faces 27 of the members 24 upon a saw to accommodate different thicknesses of saw to compensate for wear or to secure greater precision of the saw position or more freedom of action, the bases may be turned slightly in their sockets, which will place the guide-rods 23 closer or farther from the median line, as the case may be, and consequently change the distance of the saw-guide faces relative to such line to conform to the tool which it is desired to employ or for the character of work in hand.

The relative distance apart of the guides may be varied, and in the present instance one of the guides is made shiftable, the drawings illustrating the front guid e movable upon the beam. Various reasons for such adj ustability exist, among which are that if a short saw is used the nearer together the guides are placed the longer stroke may be had, and in narrow work such a saw with convenience may be employed and the front guide be placed near the rear guide. If, however, it is desired to work upon wider material, the guides will have to be placed farther apart to accom- 1 modate the work, or if a long saw is used, even for narrow work, more efficient guiding may be had and the liability of twisting the saw reduced by separating the guides a greater distance, to which end it has been found desirable to provide the swivel-beam with a plurality of holes or guide-sockets 31 to enable the guide to be exchanged from one position to another as the various employments of the machine may require or the judgment of the workman may demand.

It will be seen by reference to the drawings that the sockets 31 are plain, into which the stems may readily enter and may be shifted from socket to socket as desired to change the position of the guide. Each stem is shown as substantially cylindrical and split at 32 from its side and bottom inwardly, the split or cleft extending almost to the other side of the stem and into the body portion of the guide-base. A clamping-pin socket runs from the top to the bottom of the base and stem and traverses said split adjacent to the side of the stem at which the split or cleft opens. Such socket comprises a comparatively small bore 33 near the lower end of the stem, which bore is enlarged into a conical or wedge- .shaped shoulder 34, leading into a'plain bore 35, the upper end of which is provided with screw-threads 36 and in the present instance is countersunk at 37 for a screw-head. This opening is to receive a clamping-pin, designated in a general way by 38 and which comprises in the present instance a head 39, a

screw-threaded portion 40, and a shank or body portion 41, (shown as having clearance from the adjacent walls 35,) which body continues in a wedge-shaped or conical end 42, which upon being turned upon the screw-thread 36 will force its conical end 42 against the seat or shoulder 34 and expand the stem by opening the slit or cleft 32, which will secure the stem in position either rigidly or frictionally, as desired. The degree of expansion of the stem will control the facility with which it may move in the socket or be prevented from such movement. i

Frequently the workman may not desire to shift the guide from one position to another, but to adjust it in one of the sockets and leave it in such position for a considerable length of time or while engaged on a particular line of work, in which event the set-screw or clamping-pin may be set down, so as to hold the guide in place and for all practical purposes hold the stem in the socket rigidly; but upon desiring to adjust the individual guides upon the saw he may insert a screw-driver or any other implement which may be at hand between the bars 23 and rotate the base upon its stem sufficiently to bring the members 24 of the guide-cylinder from or toward each other, and consequently embrace the saw so as to permit greater or less play.

The adjustment of the guides may be de- IIO ' weaves sirable not only upon change from one saw to another, but upon change from onekind of work to another---as, for instance, if the Workman desires to work with a great degree of rapidity and is not particular about the exactness of his work so long as it is substantially at the desired angle he may give the saw a large amount of play. If, however, he desires great accuracy, he may adjust the members 24 toward each other and guide the saw with precision in its work and may even bring them together until they bear upon the sides of the saw-blade and by lubricating the saw or the guide-surfaces permit it to work easily.

It Will of course be apparent that various changes in detail may be resorted to without departure from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, 1 claim- 1. The combination with a base, of a cylindrical stem extending from the base and split from one side nearly to the other,a socket traversing the cleft and extending through the base and the stem and adjacent to the open side of the cleft and having Within it a conical wedgeseat located midwardof the top andbottom of the stem; a clamping-pin in said socket having a conical Wedge portion to engage said seat; and means to cause said wedge portion to bear upon said seat and open the cleft to expand the stem.

2. In a miter-box the combination with a frame, of a beam swiveled thereto; sockets in the beam for saw-guides; a pair of saw-guides each comprising means to guide a saw, a base therefor, a stem extending from the base and having a working fit with the sockets, said stem and the adjacent portion of the base being cloven from one side nearly to the other side, a socket traversing the cleft and extending from the top of the base to the bottom of the stem and adjacent to the side from which the cleft emanates and having a'wedge-seat and a screw-thread within it; and a clamping-pin in said socket having a screw-threaded portion, and a wedge to engage said seat and open the cleft to expand the stem.

3. In a miter-box the combination with a frame, of a beam swiveled thereto; cylindrical sockets in the beam for carrying the sawguides; a pair of saw-guides each comprising means to embrace a saw; a base to support the same; a cylindrical stem extending from the base and having a working fit with the sockets, said stem and the adjacent portion of the base being cloven from one side nearly to the other side, a socket traversing the cleft and extending from the top of the base to the bottom of the stem and adjacent to the side from which the cleft emanates and having within it a screw-threaded portion, a conical Wedge-seat therebelow located midward of the top and bottom of the stem; and a clampingpm in said socket having a screw-threaded portion to engage the screw-threaded portion thereof, and a conical wedge portion to engage said seat and open the cleft to expand the stem.

4. The combination with a frame, of a beam swiveled thereto; cylindrical sockets in the beam for carrying saw-guides; a pair of interchangeable saw guides each comprising means to control a saw in its work; a base to support the same; a cylindrical stem extending from the base and having a working fit with the sockets, said stem and a portion of the base adjacent thereto being cloven from one side nearly to the other, a socket traversing the cleft and extending through the base and the stem and adjacent to the free side of the cleft and having within it a screw-thread ed portion, a cyllndrlcal portion, a conlcal wedge-scat thercbelow located midward of the top and bottom of the stem, and a cylindrical portion from said seat to the bottom of the stem; and a clamping-pin in said socket having a screw-threaded portion to engage the screw-threaded portion thereof, and a conical wedge portion to bear upon said seat and open the cleft to expand the stem with the greatest expansion at the bottom and the least expansion at the top, and clamp the same in a socket of the beam.

5. The combination with a frame, of a beam swiveled thereto; cylindrical sockets in the beam for carrying saw-guides; a pair of interchangeable saw-guides each comprising means to control a saw in its work; a base to support the same; a cylindrical stem extending from the base and having a working fit with the sockets, the stem being cloven from one side nearly to the other, said cleft extending into the adjacent portion of the base, a socket traversing the cleft and extending through the base and the stem and adjacent to the open side of the cleft and having within it a conical wedge-seat located midward of the top and bottom of the stem, a clamping-pin in said socket having a conical Wedge portion to engage said seat; and means to cause said wedge portion to bear upon said seat and open the cleft to expand the stem with the greatest expansion at the bottom, and the least expansion at the top, and clamp the same in a socket of the beam.

6, In a miter-box the combination with a beam, of a series of cylindrical sockets in the beam for carrying saw-guides; a pair of interchangeable saw -guides each comprising means to control a saw in its work; a base to support the same; a cylindrical stem extending from the base and having a working fit withthe sockets, the stem being split from one side nearly tothe other, a socket traversing the cleft and extending through the base and the stem and adjacent to the open side of the cleft and having within it a conical wedge-seat located midward of the top and bottom of the stem; a clampingpin. in said socket having a conical wedge portion to engage said seat; and means to cause said Wedge portion to bear IIO upon said seat and open the cleft to expand Wedge portion to engage said seat; andmeans the stem to clamp the same in one of the seto cause said Wedge portion to bear uponsaid ries of sockets of the beam. seat and openthe cleft to expand the stem.

7. The combination with a base, of a cloven Signed at Nos. 9 to 15 Murray street, New 5 stem exilendilng flOfclll the balse, a socket trav- York, N. Y., this 19th day of September, 1903. 5

ersing't e c eft an exten ingthrough the i X 1 7 base and the stem and adjacent to one side of FRANLIS RKJHARDS' the cleft and having Within it a Wedge-seat Witnesses: located midward of the top and bottom of the CHAS. LYON RUSSELL, IO stem; aclamping-pin in said socket having a FRED. J. DOLE. 

